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Rapid One-step Enzymatic Synthesis and All-aqueous Purification of Trehalose Analogues
Published on: February 17, 2017
Insights on the evolution of trehalose biosynthesis
Nelson Avonce1, Alfredo Mendoza-Vargas, Enrique Morett
1Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología-UAEM, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico. nelson.avonce@bio.kuleuven.be <nelson.avonce@bio.kuleuven.be>
BMC Evolutionary Biology
|December 21, 2006
Summary
Trehalose biosynthesis pathways are widespread across bacteria, archaea, plants, fungi, and animals. While bacteria utilize multiple routes, eukaryotes primarily use the trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and trehalose-phosphatase (TPP) pathway.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Trehalose is a compatible solute accumulating under stress, previously thought limited to extremophiles.
- Recent findings indicate active trehalose biosynthesis gene transcription in higher plants, challenging prior assumptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and evolutionary history of trehalose biosynthesis pathways across diverse life forms.
- To analyze the phylogenetic relationships of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and trehalose-phosphatase (TPP) domains.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analyses of TPS and TPP domains.
- Comparative genomics of trehalose biosynthesis genes across eubacteria, archaea, plants, fungi, and animals.
Main Results:
- Trehalose biosynthesis is present in eubacteria, archaea, plants, fungi, and animals, with varying numbers of pathways.
- Bacteria exhibit five distinct biosynthetic routes, while fungi, plants, and animals possess a single pathway.
- TPS and TPP domains show close evolutionary relationships and are clustered in bacteria but fused in eukaryotes.
Conclusions:
- Trehalose biosynthesis pathways are broadly distributed throughout nature.
- Eukaryotes predominantly use the TPS/TPP pathway, whereas several eubacterial species possess multiple pathways.
- TPS and TPP domains likely evolved in parallel, with evidence of gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer.
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